# 1723
Chapter 1716: Gongyang Wan's Liberation
【Time until the Eastern Emperor Bell tolls: 104 years】
Black crows circled overhead. On the marble ground, a beautiful woman in a mist-blue qipao was holding hands with a teenage boy, standing in front of a artificial rock garden.
Behind them, a young man in a Western-style vest glanced at his watch. The monocle on his nose reflected a faint glint. He looked behind him, as if waiting for someone.
The misty drizzle soaked the boy's gown and jacket. He looked up at the beautiful woman beside him in confusion and asked:
"Chief, why are we standing here?"
Gongyang Wan spoke calmly: "Waiting for someone."
"Who?"
"You don't need to know."
"Oh…" The boy nodded, looked at his soaked clothes, and asked again, "Chief, why don't we use an umbrella?"
"What? Can't you handle a little wind and rain?" Gongyang Wan said coldly, "To become a true strong one, you must endure the baptism and tempering of storms… If you can't even handle a bit of rain, you might as well go home."
The boy opened his mouth, then quietly lowered his head:
"I'm not afraid of wind and rain… I just worry that your clothes will get wet and you'll catch a cold."
Gongyang Wan glanced at him but said nothing.
"They're here."
The young man with the monocle looked toward a certain direction and suddenly spoke.
Gongyang Wan turned to look. In the gray misty rain, a black-clothed figure held an umbrella in their right hand, slowly walking across the wet marble path. The brim of the umbrella was tilted slightly, blocking the person's face, making it unclear.
Their footsteps made no sound at all, like a ghostly shadow in the rain curtain, quietly arriving before the group.
"Greetings, Lord Lin." The young man respectfully spoke.
Lin Qiye lifted the edge of his umbrella slightly, examining the cultured young man before him. A hint of surprise flickered across his brow:
"Hu Jia?"
"That's me." The young man smiled, "Though, my name now is Lu Fanglin."
"Two thousand years without seeing each other, and you've taken that step too… Congratulations."
"I still have a long way to go compared to Lord Lin."
Lin Qiye's gaze passed the young man to the two figures behind him. Over these two thousand years, Gongyang Wan's appearance hadn't changed in the slightest, but the boy she was holding hands with made Lin Qiye feel somewhat familiar.
"Is this…?"
"A child I picked up from the roadside. Now, he's also a member of the Bureau of Evil Suppression." Gongyang Wan answered.
"Hello, my name is Nie Jinshan."
Hearing these three characters, Lin Qiye's eyes slightly narrowed. He lowered the umbrella brim slightly, once again covering his face, and spoke somewhat helplessly:
"You shouldn't have brought this child to meet me… If you involve me with his karmic ties again, it will be troublesome."
Gongyang Wan was stunned, "This child is over a hundred years apart from your era. Does he have karmic ties with you too?"
"Yes."
"I understand." Gongyang Wan nodded, "Hu Jia, take him to look around."
"Yes."
The young man walked forward, took the boy Nie Jinshan's hand, and turned to walk into the misty rain.
During this, the boy Nie Jinshan widened his eyes, trying to see the mysterious man's face, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see clearly. His eyes were full of confusion.
After the two walked far, Lin Qiye slowly spoke:
"What did you call me here for this time?"
"Something." Gongyang Wan paused, "I plan to… dissolve the Bureau of Evil Suppression."
"Dissolve?"
"That's right… Over these two thousand-plus years, the Bureau of Evil Suppression has risen and fallen through the changes of dynasties, from the initial ten-odd people, to its peak of several hundred, and now to just a handful…"
Her fingers gently traced the air. The artificial rock garden before them shed a layer of its surface, revealing the boulder retrieved from the East Sea within. Dense names were carved upon it, over ten thousand in total.
Gongyang Wan's eyes held a look of reminiscence, as if somewhat dazed,
"Now, the feudal dynasties have completely perished, and the world has entered a completely new phase… The Bureau of Evil Suppression no longer fits this era."
Lin Qiye contemplated, then nodded slightly.
Gongyang Wan was right. Even though over these two thousand years, Gongyang Wan had been continuously adapting and improving the Bureau of Evil Suppression's model to keep pace with dynastic changes, trying to keep up with this century of rapid ideological leaps and explosive technological growth was destined to be difficult.
Moreover, the decline of feudal dynasties, combined with the fact that the world had completely forgotten the existence of the Bureau of Evil Suppression, made recruiting new members extremely difficult. Now, there were fewer than ten members left. This wasn't due to Gongyang Wan's poor leadership, but an inevitable result of the changing times.
"Dissolution isn't the only option. With a different idea and model, there might still be a chance." Lin Qiye advised.
The Bureau of Evil Suppression was founded by Huo Qubing, but what it contained was Gongyang Wan's two thousand-plus years of heartfelt dedication… Now that she wanted to dissolve it, she must feel some reluctance.
Gongyang Wan shook her head,
"Lin Qiye… I'm tired."
"These two thousand-plus years, I've been dedicating myself completely to the Bureau of Evil Suppression… There are so many people in this world who risk their lives pursuing immortality, but for me, immortality has been a form of torment.
A Zhuo is already dead. We once stood at the pinnacle of humanity. Over two thousand years ago, I should have been buried alongside him… For the Bureau of Evil Suppression, I kept devouring aberrant practitioners to extend my lifespan, and only managed to survive until today.
Two thousand years. I've consumed over one hundred and forty aberrant practitioners whole… This body of mine now is completely stacked together from those one hundred and forty living people.
When I bathe now, I have to close my eyes, because when I see this body, it makes me feel disgusted… I'm weary, Lin Qiye, truly weary."
Gongyang Wan gazed at her own fair, delicate hands, yet her eyes were full of disgust and revulsion,
"I… no longer want to achieve immortality by eating people."
Lin Qiye looked at her pained face and fell silent.
"So, you called me here, wanting me to help you find liberation?"
"With the Bureau of Evil Suppression dissolved, my two thousand-plus year mission will have reached its conclusion… I can, like the Marquis, transform into a spirit guarding the nation's fortune, but this kind of immortality sustained by eating people… I don't want to continue."
"The process of performing the Soul-Concealing Technique won't be pleasant. Are you certain you want to do this?"
"It's merely pain." Gongyang Wan chuckled bitterly, "Skinning and bone extraction, heart-opening and blood-drawing… consider it my punishment for eating people."
Lin Qiye looked into Gongyang Wan's pleading eyes, and finally, sighed:
"I understand… What will you do about Nie Jinshan?"
"Hu Jia and Yan Zhong will take care of him for me."
Lin Qiye nodded. A broken sword slipped from his sleeve into his palm.
He slowly walked toward Gongyang Wan,
"Then… I'll see you again in a hundred years."
Looking at that blade radiating cold light, Gongyang Wan's lips slightly curved upward. Liberation appeared in her eyes. She slowly closed them:
"Mm."